Extension assembly for a skidder tractor stacking blade assembly

ABSTRACT

A skidder tractor includes a vertically swingable stacking blade assembly at its forward end, the assembly comprising a pair of push arms located at the opposite sides of the tractor front end and having their forward ends joined by a blade. A stacking blade extension assembly is fixed to the stacking blade assembly for preventing elongate objects such as logs or rocks or the like from passing over the blade into a position whereat they would be disposed between the blade assembly and the underside of the tractor.

United StatesPatent [191 Rathe et al.

[ Jan. 22, 1974 EXTENSION ASSEMBLY FOR A SKIDDER TRACTOR STACKING BLADEASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Robert Allyn Rathe, Sherrill; Lyle EugeneMiller, Dubuque, both of Iowa [73] Assignee: Deere & Company, Moline,Ill.

[22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 289,337

[52] US. Cl. 172/801 [51] Int. Cl E02f 3/76 [58] Field of Search172/801-809;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v Smemo et al. 172/8012/1956 Struemph 37/2 P 3/1971 Scholl et al. 172/803 X PrimaryExaminer-Stephen C. Pellegrino [5 7] ABSTRACT A skidder tractor includesa vertically swingable stacking blade assembly at its forward end, theassembly comprising a pair of push arms located at the opposite sides ofthe tractor front end and having their forward ends joined by a blade. Astacking blade extension assembly is fixed to the stacking bladeassembly for preventing elongate objects such as logs or rocks or thelike from passing over the blade into a position whereat they would bedisposed between the blade assembly and the underside of the tractor.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures EXTENSION ASSEMBLY FOR A SKmDER TRACTORSTACKING BLADE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to a tractor-mounted blade in which the blade is carried on apair of vertically movable arms extending forwardly at the oppositesides of the tractor. More particularly, this invention relates toimprovements in the stacking blade extension assembly disclosed in U. 8.Pat. No. 3,543,867 issued on 1 Dec. 1970 to Smemo et al.

In the Smemo et al. patent, a skidder-type tractor is provided with astacking blade which has an extension assembly integral therewith forpreventing large items being engaged by the blade from rolling over theblade and finding their way to the space between the blade push arms andthe front and bottom of the tractor front end.

The extension assembly of the Smemo et al device does not work entirelysatisfactorily since when the skidder tractor is being used in a logdecking operation, for example, it sometimes becomes desirable to eventhe ends of a bunch of logs in a pile and when attempting this operationwith the Smemo et al device, logs sometimes move endwise above the bladeinto the space between the blade and the front of the tractor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of thepresent invention to provide an extension assembly for a stacking blade,which assembly acts to prevent logs, or the like, from passing eitherendwise or lengthwise across the top of the main blade into the arealocated above the push arms of the blade and the bottom and front of thetractor. A'more specific object of the invention is to provide such anextension assembly which not only serves the function aforementioned butalso serves to reinforce the stacking blade and the push arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of the frontportion of a skidder tractor with portions being broken away, andshowing a blade provided with an extension assembly constructedaccording to the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective viewof a portion of the stacking blade andextension assembly shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT It is here noted that at timesin the following discussion reference will be made to pairs of memberswhile in some instances only one of the members is disclosed in thedrawing. When such instances occur, it can be assumed that the missingmember is identical to the one being described and that it is used in anidentical manner.

Referring then to FIG. 1, therein is shown a vehicle front end portionsuch as the front end portion of a skidder tractor of the like. Thevehicle front end portion 10 includes a main fore-and-aft extendingframe 12 which is supported on a pair of front ground wheels 14. Themain frame 12 includes opposite side portions 16 which extend fore andaft at the opposite sides of the vehicle and are joined at their forwardends to a grille housing 18, the bottoms of the sides 16 and the grillehousing 18 terminating at a generally planar underside 20 of the vehicleand the forward end of the grille housing 18 terminating at a generallyplanar front end 22 of the vehicle, the bottom side and front endforming an angle of approximately with one another. Located behind thegrille housing 11S and bounded at its lower portion by the oppositeframe side portions 16 is an engine compartment 24 having a hood 26extending thereover.

Fixed to the opposite sides of the main frame 12 are a pair of mountingbrackets 28. A pair of fore-and-aft extending push arms means 30 includemain members 32 respectively connected to the pair of brackets 28 bymeans of horizontal pivot pins 34 providing a pivot about which the pusharms means 30 are vertically pivotable. For the purpose of selectivelyvertically pivoting the push arms, there is provided a pair ofhorizontally disposed hydraulic actuators 36 which are fixed to thebrackets 28 and have their respective rods pivotally connected as at 38to the rearward ends of a pair of upwardly and rearwardly inclinedmembers 40 forming a part of the push arm means and respectively havingtheir forward ends fixed rigidly with the top of the push arm mainmembers 32. Extending between the main members 32 and the portions 40are a pair of bracing members 42. The forward ends of the push armsmeans 30 terminate forwardly of the forward end 22 of the vehicle andare secured to the rear side 44 of a trans versely extending stackingblade 46 having a forwardly facing material-engaging surface 48 which isconnected to the backside 44 through means of transversely extending topand bottom surfaces 50 and 52, respectively.

For the purpose of preventing objects such as large stones, logs or thelike from moving over the top surface 50 of the blade 46 into a space 54which, as viewed from the side of the vehicle when the blade is in alowered working position as shown in FIG. I, is defined by the bottom 20of the vehicle forward end portion and the top of the push arms means30, there is provided a blade extension assembly 56. The extensionassembly 56 includes a pair of upright posts respectively having theirlower ends fixed as by weldments to the push arm members 32 adjacent thebackside 44 of the blade 46, the forward side portion of the posts beingalso fixed as by weldments to the backside 44 and top surface 50 of theblade 46. Thus, it can be appreciated that the posts 58 reinforce thetop portion of the blade 46. The posts 58 include forwardly facingsurfaces 60 which extend generally tangentially to and form upwardcontinuations of the curved material-engaging surface 48 of the blade.The posts 58 include upper rearwardly extending portions 62 which, whenthe blade is in its lowered position shown in FIG. I, extend upwardlyand rearwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of the front end of thevehicle. Respectively connected to the rearward ends of the portions 62is one of the ends of a pair of rearwardly extending members 64, theother ends of the members 64 being respectively secured to the upwardlyand rearwardly inclined members 40. A cross member 66 extends betweenand is secured to the upright posts 58 and includes a bottom edge meanswhich is secured to the top surface 50 of the blade 46. The cross member66 includes a front surface 68 which cooperates with the surfaces 60 ofthe upright posts 58 in forming an upward extension of the blade surface48.

Thus, it can be easily perceived from reviewing FIG. 1 that the crossmember 66 substantially reduces the vertical clearance a which wouldotherwise exist between the top surface of the blade 46 and the, bottomof the front end of the vehicle, hence, reducing the possibility that anelongate object might move endwise into the space 54 when the blade 46is being used to move such elongate objects. It is also apparent thatthe cross member 66 increases the transverse rigidity of the posts 58.Further, as can best be seen in FIG. 1, the cross member 66 does notlimit the upward swinging movement of the blade 46, since, when theblade 46 is in its uppermost position, the cross member 66 extendsparallel to the forward end of the vehicle. It is also here noted thatwhen the blade 46 is in its lowered position resting on the ground asshown in solid lines in FIG. 1, the rearwardly extending members 64 aresubstantially at the same level as and are generally parallel to thebottom of the vehicle.

[t is thought that the operation of the blade extension assembly 56 isapparent from the foregoing description and for the sake of brevity nofurther description of the sides of the push arm means adjacent saidblade and having a forward surface forming an upward continuation of thematerial-engaging surface of the blade, said posts having upperrearwardly extending portions inclined rearwardly and upwardly from saidforward surface to a location adjacent the bottom of the front end ofthe vehicle when the blade is in said lowered portion; a pair ofrearwardly extending members respectively located at opposite sides ofthe vehicle and each having forward and rearward ends respectively fixedto one of the rearwardly extending post portions and to one of the pusharm means, the rearwardly extending members each being generallyparallel to and at the same level as the bottom of the forward endportion of the operation is given. Suffice it to say that the extensionassembly 56 is compact and rigid and rigidities the blade and push armstructures, all in addition to performing the function of keepingmaterial from passing over the blade 46 into the space 54 when the bladeis in the lowered working positions.

We claim:

1. A vehicle and stacking blade assembly combination comprising: saidvehicle having a fore-and-aft extending forward end portion including amain frame having portions at the opposite sides of the vehicle; saidstacking blade assembly including a pair of push arm means having theirrespective rear ends pivotally secured to the main frame at oppositesides of the vehicle by means permitting vertical swinging movement ofthe arm means, the forward ends of the arm means extending beyond thefront end of the vehicle; a pair of reciprocable hydraulic actuatorsbeing respectively connected between the main frame and rear endportions of the arm means for swinging the arms vertically; a bladebeing fixed to the forward ends of said arm means and having an uppertransverse edge which, when the blade is in a lowered position restingon the ground, is located at a level below the level of the bottom ofthe front of the vehicle; said blade further including a-forwardlyfacing material-engaging surface; an extension assembly including a pairof upright posts having their bottom ends respectively rigidly fixed tothe upper vehicle when the blade is in said lowered position; and across member extending between and having opposite ends fixed to theposts and having a lower edge means fixed to the top of said blade; andsaid cross member further including a forward surface forming an upwardcontinuation of the material-engaging surface of the blade.

' 2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the upright postsinclude portions secured to the back and top sides of the blade.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the push arm means eachinclude a main fore-and-aft member and an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined member having one end secured to the top of the main member, ata location spaced forwardly from the connection of the push arm meanswith the vehicle main frame, and having its other end pivotallyconnected to one end of one of said pair of reciprocable hydraulicactuators; and said rearwardly extending members of said extensionassembly respectively having their rearward ends respectively connectedto said upwardly and rearwardly inclined members.

4. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein the push arm means eachinclude a main fore-and-aft member and an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined member having one end secured to the top of the main member, ata location spaced forwardly from the connection of the push arm meanswith the vehicle main frame, and having its other end pivotallyconnected to one end of one of said pair of reciprocable hydraulicactuators; and said rearwardly extending members of said extensionassembly respectively having their rearward ends respectively connectedto said upwardly and rearwardly inclined members.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. q 786872 Dated 22 Januarv 197 n Q Robert Allvn Rathe and Lyle Eugene Millerpears in the above-identified patent It is certifiedf that error ap tedas shown'below:

and that said Letters Patent are hereby correc Column 3, 'line &2, after"the" (1st occ. insert push Signed and sealed this 3rd day of September1974.

(SEAL) Attest: v

C. MARSHALL DANN McCOY M. GIBSON, J A Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 r us. covenant rnnmnc OFFICE Isis o-au-ssl,

FORM PO-IOSO (10-69)

1. A vehicle and stacking blade assembly combination comprising: saidvehicle having a fore-and-aft extending forward end portion including amain frame having portions at the opposite sides of the vehicle; saidstacking blade assembly including a pair of push arm means having theirrespective rear ends pivotally secured to the main frame at oppositesides of the vehicle by means permitting vertical swinging movement ofthe arm means, the forward ends of the arm means extending beyond thefront end of the vehicle; a pair of reciprocable hydraulic actuatorsbeing respectively connected between the main frame and rear endportions of the arm means for swinging the arms vertically; a bladebeing fixed to the forward ends of said arm means and having an uppertransverse edge which, when the blade is in a lowered position restingon the ground, is located at a level below the level of the bottom ofthe front of the vehicle; said blade further including a forwardlyfacing material-engaging surface; an extension assembly including a pairof upright posts having their bottom ends respectively rigidly fixed tothe upper sides of the push arm means adjacent said blade and having aforward surface forming an upward continuation of the materialengagingsurface of the blade, said posts having upper rearwardly extendingportions inclined rearwardly and upwardly from said forward surface to alocation adjacent the bottom of the front end of the vehicle when theblade is in said lowered portion; a pair of rearwardly extending membersrespectively located at opposite sides of the vehicle and each havingforward and rearward ends respectively fixed to one of the rearwardlyextending post portions and to one of the push arm means, the rearwardlyextending members each being generally parallel to and at the same levelas the bottom of the forward end portion of the vehicle when the bladeis in said lowered position; and a cross member extending between andhaving opposite ends fixed to the posts and having a lower edge meansfixed to the top of said blade; and said cross member further includinga forward surface forming an upward continuation of thematerial-engaging surface of the blade.
 2. The combination as defined inclaim 1 wherein the upright posts include portions secured to the backand top sides of the blade.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1wherein the push arm means each include a main fore-and-aft member andan upwardly and rearwardly inclined member having one end secured to thetop of the main member, at a location spaced forwardly from theconnection of the push arm means with the vehicle main frame, and havingits other end pivotally connected to one end of one of said pair ofreciprocable hydraulic actuators; and said rearwardly extending membersof said extension assembly respectively having their rearward endsrespectively connected to said upwardly and rearwardly inclined members.4. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein the push arm means eachinclude a main fore-and-aft meMber and an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined member having one end secured to the top of the main member, ata location spaced forwardly from the connection of the push arm meanswith the vehicle main frame, and having its other end pivotallyconnected to one end of one of said pair of reciprocable hydraulicactuators; and said rearwardly extending members of said extensionassembly respectively having their rearward ends respectively connectedto said upwardly and rearwardly inclined members.